Tuesday

Production of DC Universe's Wilmington-shot series to end after 10 episodes instead of the original 13

WILMINGTON – The waters are growing murky for “Swamp Thing.”

Less than 24 hours after learning the Warner Bros. Television production will halt production sooner than scheduled, the local film community is still reeling from the unexpected news.

It all started late Tuesday night when multiple sources within the industry said the production’s crew was assembled by producers and told the show would be shutting down after filming is completed on episode 10. Originally, the show was scheduled to shoot 13 episodes through the end of May.

On Wednesday morning, actress Virginia Madsen confirmed the shut down in an Instagram post that read, “I’m beyond sad. What a terrible decision. We have been cut to the core by those who have never set foot into the Swamp.”

The post, which was accompanied by a picture of a mold of the titular creature, was deleted minutes later.

'Caught off guard'

The news, first broken by the StarNews, quickly reverberated through the local film industry as some crew members took to social media to share their shock. A few posts indicated that the news came completely out of the blue for the hundreds of crew members.

Sources said the reason given to crew for the abrupt end of filming was so Warner Bros. could evaluate the future of its DC Universe streaming platform, on which “Swamp Thing” is scheduled to premiere May 31. That premiere will still go forward.

On Wednesday morning, Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo was still learning about the late-night developments, but said he is among those taken by surprise.

“We were all caught off guard,” he said. “No one was aware this was happening.”

Saffo said he didn’t know many details, but was told the issue is not the quality of “Swamp Thing.”

Warner Bros.’s relatively quiet launch of DC Universe last October has only seen two live action series premiere, “Titans” and “Doom Patrol.” “Swamp Thing” would be the third.

Sources close to the service said the shortened season is the result of creative decisions. In response to the news, DC Universe debuted a short teaser Wednesday afternoon giving a first look at the title character.

The series has made significant investments in the region, estimating it would spend around $85 million locally on its entire first season, according to film grant applications filed with the state.

The production occupies multiple sound stages and offices on the EUE/Screen Gems Studios lot, and has built a massive swamp set on Stage 10, which houses a water tank for filming. At times, the series also required multiple crew units working simultaneously.

In November, the show caused a commotion when it staged a coordinated explosion at Greenfield Lake for its pilot episode.

In total, the production employs more than 500 local crew members, according to grant applications.

When the series signed onto the area last fall, it did so with intentions to put down roots for multiple seasons.

With filming now being shuttered, it is not clear what the future of the show will be if the DC Universe service is altered or scrapped. Warner Bros. could potentially sell the completed project to a different network or streaming service, but it is unclear if that option is on the table.

One possibility is the show -- and possibly DC Universe as a whole -- could be absorbed into WarnerMedia’s own streaming service with AT&T, which is currently in the works.

The news comes closely on the heels of Disney announcing its major new streaming platform Disney+, which will debut multiple series tied to its billion-dollar brands like Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel -- the direct competitor of DC. The service will launch on Nov. 12 with a $6.99 monthly price tag and more than a half-dozen series available on day one.

'This is a shock'

The news is a blow to a positive upswing in the local film industry that has landed several projects in the last year, with more potentially looming on the horizon. The next series to film locally, Hulu’s revenge drama “Reprisal,” is expected to start shooting in June.

The independent feature film, “Uncle Frank,” is also currently shooting in town.

With two major streaming projects on the ground in Wilmington, the local industry is now heavily involved with the lucrative digital-only streaming business that has taken the entertainment industry by storm. While the future remains unclear for DC Universe, Saffo said he isn’t closing the book on “Swamp Thing’s” local footprint.

“I’m not giving up on it, but there are significant changes happening in the industry and ‘Swamp Thing’ being cut short is a reflection of that,” he said.

State Sen. Harper Peterson, D-New Hanover, said he is disappointed to see “Swamp Thing’s” run come to an early close -- specifically for the local crew now left with a few less paychecks.

“I feel bad for the rank-and-file workers on this show,” he said. “They live here, they are our neighbors and pay taxes. This is a shock to them.”

Based on the DC Comics series, “Swamp Thing” stars Crystal Reed as Abby Arcane, a scientist who returns home to Houma, Louisiana, to investigate a deadly swamp-borne virus, only to develop a bond with scientist Alec Holland (Andy Bean), who will be transformed into the elemental hero, Swamp Thing.

It is being executive produced by James Wan, who directed “The Conjuring” locally in 2012, and Len Wiseman, which produced and directed Fox’s “Sleepy Hollow” series, which shot its first two seasons in Wilmington.

Reporter Hunter Ingram can be reached at 910-343-2327 or Hunter.Ingram@StarNewsOnline.com.

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